Four Elements Book 2 - Fight and Feel

Part 10

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Eric smiled, relaxing. "Didn't quite turn out the way I expected, though..."

Andie flushed.

"Yes... sorry about that... I just wasn't expecting it. And I just try and be careful."

"No, that's fine, I completely understand." Eric said.

"Hey, we were just going to the Soda Fountain, d'you want to come?"

"Sure, if your friends don't mind," Eric added, glancing behind her.

"Oh, of course not," Bane said.

Andie glanced at him. His smile was polite, but she knew him enough to know there was a watchful glint in his eye. This looked like it could get complicated really fast.

The girls seemed to find Eric nice enough, and Andie was happy to see that Bane was at least trying to be friendly, even if she could tell he was not too keen on this newcomer.

"Oh, and remember that time you tried to repaint the barn?!" Andie asked, laughing. "He put more paint on the floor and himself than on the walls! He's so clumsy!"

"I was so clumsy," Eric corrected with a grin. "But no, definitely not my finest hour."

"So you guys grew up together in Denver?" Isabelle asked.

"Pretty much," Andie nodded. "Our houses were on the same block, we ended up in the same school, and got talking... and we became close friends."

"Except when we argued," Eric interjected cheekily.

"Oh, gosh, yes!" Andie giggled. "He was as stubborn as they came, I swear. And he would get me so angry when we both knew he was wrong but was just too darn proud to admit it!'

They laughed. Bane was quiet.

"So, how did you and Bane come to be?" Eric asked.

Andie froze, glancing at Bane, who merely looked at her.

"Uh... we met in school, actually," Andie said slowly. "And... we started off as friends. And then... it became more than that."

She reached for his hand under the table. He gave her a tiny smile. She wasn't quite satisfied, but didn't want to push it. She turned back to Eric.

"Which school are you going to enroll in?"

"Olympia High."

"Oh, that's our school," Emily noted.

Andie noticed that Bane had tensed at the news of Eric going to their school. This was not going the way she'd expected. Although, to be perfectly honest, she hadn't really expected any of this.

January wore on steadily, cold and snowy, but devoid of demonic encounters. Andie couldn't say she minded, because even if she now knew she was capable of holding her own against Zarias, she was not keen in facing him again. Every memory of him inevitably brought her back to the day Bane had been gravely injured while fighting Zarias. He had been in a coma for several weeks after that, and Andie had become nigh obsessed with finding a way to heal him. Of course, Zarias and Zorak weren't going to let her do so, and it had been a long and trying task. And ultimately, she and her friends weren't even sure if they'd succeeded, or if Bane's awakening had been his own doing. But Andie didn't care how he'd woken up. The result was what mattered to her. And now she could finally be with Bane. Of course, they were still working on their relationship, because while Andie had strong feelings for Bane, he had known and loved her for far longer, which made it complicated. But she tried to focus on the fact that were together. After all, that was what mattered, wasn't it?

"Andie?"

Andie snapped out of her daze.

"Oh, sorry... what were you saying?" she asked.

"I was saying your hair looks like straw," Bane teased.

Andie stuck her tongue out at him. He was much more relaxed, today. Probably because they hadn't run into Eric for the past couple of days. He had been busy with catching up in his classes and unpacking at his new home. He'd gone to the Soda Fountain a few times with them, and while he and Bane were on cordial terms, there was undoubtedly tension between them. But Andie didn't want to think about that.

"No, you weren't." Andie replied.

"No." he conceded. "I was asking if I could trouble you with a favor."

Andie shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Sure, what?"

"Well... I... I don't want to make a big deal out of it, my uncle insisted... but you know my birthday's coming up, soon..."

"Yeah, next Thursday," Andie said.

However, she was still struggling to figure out what to get him that could compare with the beautiful drawing he'd given her on her eighteenth birthday a few months before... she was nowhere near that good. But she wanted it to be really personal. Like the drawing, really.

"Yeah..." Bane agreed, looking almost surprised she remembered. "And I was hoping you could help me."

"With what?"

"Well... it's the first time I'm actually going to have a chance to invite friends over, so... I really want to make the cake myself, but... I'm not very good at that. My uncle always bought them..."

"Oh... well, I'd be happy to help," Andie smiled.

"Really? Thanks, you're the best."

Just then, the bell rang, so they got up and went to class, fingers locked together.

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Oh, a face from the past! How do you think this will affect the Fateful Five's lives?

Have you ever seen friends you hadn't seen in a long time? Let's hear it in the comments ;-)

What will Eric's arrival mean? What is Andie going to do about it? Let's find out in the next chapter!